I'm just curious.. What are the differences between the Izzo Alex Duetto I and the Izzo Alex Duetto II?

As best as I can tell from a review from Bella Barista who had Serial No. 0001...

- PID lights look different.. Green & Red as opposed to two red ones. (Not sure if they have the same function between the versions?)- Steam boiler is not insulated. - Closed topped water tank as opposed to open topped water tank.- Available dust cover for the tank- Adjustable OPV isn't as easy to access- No Alarm Beep switch- Generic knobs as opposed to custom made knobs

Is that about it?

Garbage In, Garbage Out, for every step of the process. From Beans to grinder, grounds to machine, coffee to cup.

I know at the very least the insulated boiler is new on the Duetto II.

II has a lid on the reservoir, which is then again covered by the warming tray.

You are also correct about the adjustable OPV. Steam boiler pressure on the II is adjusted by accessing the PID programming and changing the steam boiler temp setting.

II not only beeps when the reservoir goes too low, it turns off the machine and continues beeping until you either cut it's power or fill the reservoir.

II has a no burn steam wand. Best to convert it to a "burn me", as the steam quality drastically improves once you remove the little silicon tube inside of it. Then you just add something to the outer surface so you can manipulate it. There's a thread on it, actually, in the mods forum.

II is also now available with either traditional knobs or joysticks for steam and water.

Regarding the generic vs custom-made knobs...although they may be "custom made" they're nothing more than black bake-lite plastic with shiny inserts. If you want to see what real custom made knobs look like, glance over at my avatar. My set was truly custom made for me by Dave Stephens. I ask for bubinga, but he'll make them out of just about any wood you'd like. Somewhere I have a photo of the machine with the knob set installed, maybe I'll get it posted in the shrines one of these days? Of course, if you'd like, I can email it to you.

I don't know much about I, so some or all of these things may be the same on it.

...easy enough to call or email Chris' Coffee Service and ask if there's anything else.

.Always remember the most important thing is what ends up in your cup!

**NEW** New Insulation**NEW** Water tank with plastic dust cover**NEW** Safety over pressure valve now easy to access and adjust**NEW** New tank design - Open top for easier access**NEW** Alarm beep switch**NEW** Custom made knobs

Well, I pulled the trigger on a used Izzo Alex Duetto I.. $600 cheaper than a "new" Duetto II.. $1200 cheaper than a new Duetto III.

The original manufacture date is listed as 2008 so this must be one of the earlier machines. Where is the serial number tag on these machines?

As well, I appear to be missing an instruction manual. Does anyone know where I can find one online?

Probably one of the bigger things I've noticed is the "Go/No-Go" lights which only work when the steam boiler is on. Reminds me of a traffic light. I can certainly see why Izzo replaced these two lights with much more informative brew/steam lights instead. Also impressive is the "Click-Clunk" sound it makes when it switches the steam boiler heater on and off.. Do the Duetto II machines do this as well?

I've made a few drinks with it using the reservoir, I haven't plumbed it in yet.. I've got a bunch of questions since I don't have the manual... Since this is my first DB machine, I apologize if my questions sound a little stupid.

Even though the PID reads between 199-202, my shots taste a little bit more sour than what I got from the Silvia. Maybe I'm either under-extracting or the PID isn't set high enough?

I noticed on some shots, The brew pressure gauge will hover around 4 bar for about a second or so before jumping up to about 8.5 bar when pulling a shot. Is this normal?

The steam pressure gauge reads 1.4 bar when sitting at idle and drops down to 1 bar when steaming. This is normal as well?

When should I hear the pump kick in to auto-fill the boilers?

There are two hoses going to the reservoir of equal length. What is the best way to tell which hose is for what? (ie. Pump intake vs OPV return)

I would like to thank you all for your help and advice.

Garbage In, Garbage Out, for every step of the process. From Beans to grinder, grounds to machine, coffee to cup.

One thing I noticed over my Silvia is that there is considerably more channelling. I think part of the problem is that I'm dosing incorrectly. I'm going to have to dial in the grinder for a 16 gram dose first. One thing I'm noticing right off the bat is that the pucks are knocking out "dirty", they're leaving a lot of residue in the portafilter, so perhaps a heavier dose will make for a cleaner puck?

qualin Said:

I noticed on some shots, The brew pressure gauge will hover around 4 bar for about a second or so before jumping up to about 8.5 bar when pulling a shot. Is this normal?

I noticed that it occasionally does this even with back-flushing. It will almost "violently" shoot up to 4 bar, stay there for a second or two, I'll hear a "click" then it'll rise up to nearly 9 bar. I don't know if this is normal, but I am getting good crema on my shots. What should the brew pressure gauge read when back-flushing?

qualin Said:

There are two hoses going to the reservoir of equal length. What is the best way to tell which hose is for what? (ie. Pump intake vs OPV return)

I noticed that when I did, the pump started to complain, perhaps it's because it can't draw enough water though that filter. Regardless, I disconnected it and flushed to re-prime the pump.Perhaps, since vibe pumps have a lower flow rate, it isn't such a big deal if the flow is restricted.

Garbage In, Garbage Out, for every step of the process. From Beans to grinder, grounds to machine, coffee to cup.

One thing I noticed over my Silvia is that there is considerably more channelling. I think part of the problem is that I'm dosing incorrectly. I'm going to have to dial in the grinder for a 16 gram dose first. One thing I'm noticing right off the bat is that the pucks are knocking out "dirty", they're leaving a lot of residue in the portafilter, so perhaps a heavier dose will make for a cleaner puck?

I noticed that it occasionally does this even with back-flushing. It will almost "violently" shoot up to 4 bar, stay there for a second or two, I'll hear a "click" then it'll rise up to nearly 9 bar. I don't know if this is normal, but I am getting good crema on my shots. What should the brew pressure gauge read when back-flushing?

I noticed that when I did, the pump started to complain, perhaps it's because it can't draw enough water though that filter. Regardless, I disconnected it and flushed to re-prime the pump.Perhaps, since vibe pumps have a lower flow rate, it isn't such a big deal if the flow is restricted.

Sounds like you have an airlock. Last resin cartridge change I did was a huge PIA, seemed that no matter what I did, I had an airlock, but eventually I got it squared away and it started working normally again.

.Always remember the most important thing is what ends up in your cup!

Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post

Forum Rules:No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards.No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum.No SEO style postings will be tolerated. SEO related posts will result in immediate ban from CoffeeGeek.No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum.Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards.Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics.Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies.Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies.Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts.Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.